Garbage Techniques

By Russ Jensen, PhD

Owner & Head Instructor, Ground Rules Academy

When you’re new to jiu jitsu, it’s very tempting to think that some techniques are garbage. But how do you know if it’s the technique… or if it’s you?

The answer depends on what kind of technique you are studying.

Fundamentals

A basic technique failing to work against a resisting opponent can be a very frustrating experience, but it’s also very common. If a basic technique is not working for you, then it’s probably because you haven’t yet put in the time to make it work.

A black belt, in my opinion, is simply someone who has mastered the basics and can apply them under pressure. Your local black belt ought to be a living example of how the basics can be made effective with practice – don’t forget that they were beginners once too.

Roger Gracie, widely considered the greatest all-time competitor in the gi, finished over half of his career matches with lapel strangles and arm bars. He’s famous for dominating world-class opponents in mount and closed guard. Basics.

There is ample evidence that the basic techniques you learn in class are effective. They’re fundamental because they’ve survived generations of scrutiny. If the techniques had no value, then they would have been discarded decades ago. Think of it as natural selection – survival of the fittest techniques.

I personally believe that the bulk of your study should be in the fundamentals. We know they work, and there is always another level of refinement waiting to be discovered. Just look at Roger. On offense, you can get so good at a select number of attacks that it doesn’t matter whether your opponent knows your game plan. On defense, you can feel like nobody is able to control you, and your spidey senses warn you of submission threats from a mile away.

At this level, you become an artist, and you can get there by studying only the fundamentals.

Technique Trends

I call these Instagram Techniques. They can be flashy, sneaky, clever, or downright rude. Perhaps there is evidence of success in competition, but usually at the blue belt level.

To be fair, the buggy choke may survive generations of scrutiny and become a fundamental technique for our grandchildren, but there’s no way for us to know right now. Only time will tell.

Getting your techniques from Instagram is a lot like eating fast food – an occasional indulgence won’t kill you, but I don’t recommend making it a staple. You are what you eat, so if your BJJ instruction consists of “gotcha” techniques, then your game will be shaky. Seek out a qualified black belt to supervise your jiu jitsu education so you are getting a healthy dose of the basics.

If an Instagram technique works for you after some tinkering, then great, add it to your game. But if not, don’t sweat it too much – it’s quite possibly garbage.

DIY Techniques

The DIY techniques are purely experimental. Attention spans are short, and it’s very hard to grind the fundamentals year after year without wanting to invent something that could slip through your opponent’s defense without resistance.

Assuming you have a basic understanding of (or feel for) mechanics and anatomy, I think this can be a really fun way to spend a few training sessions. Take one of your late-night BJJ ideas to your training partners, test it out, titrate in some resistance to see where it breaks, tweak it, and iterate. You might just hit it on a blue belt someday, start the next Instagram technique trend, and create a fundamental technique for future generations.

But the chances of that actually happening are low.

So, is the technique garbage or not? Only you can answer that. You could keep refining it in hopes that it will be a highly effective secret weapon someday, or you could let it die and focus on something more practical. You’ve got to do the ROI calculation yourself to weigh the time and energy against the potential reward.

Summary

The safest bet for building a solid jiu jitsu game is to hit the fundamentals hard. If they’re not working for you yet, then give them more time. If you pay attention, the evidence that they work is all around you.

A couple questions

How do I know if a technique is garbage or if it’s me?

Start with what kind of technique it is. If it’s a fundamental, it’s probably you (for now). Those moves have survived generations of scrutiny, so give them more time. If it’s a trend or something you made up, then it might really be the technique.

Should beginners learn techniques from Instagram?

Now and then is fine, the way fast food is fine now and then. Just don’t make it your staple. Find a qualified black belt to supervise your jiu jitsu education so you get a healthy dose of the basics.

Why spend so much time on fundamentals?

Because we know they work, and there’s always another level of refinement waiting. Roger Gracie dominated world-class opponents with mount, closed guard, lapel strangles, and arm bars. Basics.

Is it worth experimenting with my own techniques?

Sure, for a few training sessions. Test your idea with your training partners, titrate in some resistance, see where it breaks, then tweak and iterate. Just be honest about the return on that time, because the odds of it becoming a secret weapon are low.

Russ Jensen, PhD is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and the founder of Ground Rules Academy in Pleasanton. With a PhD in physical chemistry from MIT, he brings a unique, science-based approach to teaching technique on the mats. He is the author of Ground Rules: Simple Physics for the Grappling Arts.